Shadows
by Vikitty
Summary: Daine is missing, Numair's fretting, and Tortall is about to hit dark times. Can the most peculiar court in all history of Tortall save their their Wildmage and their beloved kingdom?
1. Darkness

Chapter 1: Darkness

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Spoilery: Shouldn't be any… it's completely AU. I don't even know when this takes place… all I know is, Daine is around 25/26, and she's married to Numair. 

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Rating: PG 13, perhaps R in the future.

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Disclaimer: All recognizable characters belong to Ms. Tamora Pierce. I'm only borrowing them for fun!

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A/N: I know this chapter is rather short… but that's okay, because more ish comin'!

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The woman blinked in the dark, her breathing short and ragged. She moved her numb arms and heard rattling. Strong, metal chains connected to two tall poles held her up, which she could hardly feel anymore. Her knees hurt from hours of kneeling. She gulped, trying to remember how she had gotten here.

Suddenly, the darkness in front of her started to move. Fear ran through her chilled body, and her breathing quickened.

It danced around her like a small child, mocking her. Although it was still pitch black, this small shadow was a shade lighter. It stopped after a few more twirls, and stood still, motionless, like it was dead. 

And then it leaped towards her. The woman opened her mouth to scream, and it dived in, stretching all over her body. She lowered her head and shuddered with pain as the small shadow invaded her every organ. 

_You will pay_, it hissed. _You, and your kind will pay…_

When the darkness wrapped around her heart, she threw her head back, blue-grey eyes watering, and screamed.

"Numairrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!" 


	2. Mayhem

Chapter 2: Mayhem

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A/N: Thank you for the reviews, guys! ^_^ I'm a huge D/N fan myself, and I **cannot** wait until Tammy P. writes about Numair's past… that's in what? 5 years? *sigh* I'd rather read about D/N or Kalasin/Kaddar's wedding. She should **so** do an anthology of short stories. That would be so sweet. Now I'm just rambling. Here's the next chapter. Enjoy!

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Several hundred leagues away, in the royal palace, a mage woke up, drenched in sweat. Numair Salmalin sat up shakily, his face pale and unreadable. He could hear all sorts of animals howling. "Daine," he whispered, throwing on some clothes and rushing out his door. 

Guards were rushing up and down the hallway. Numair followed them up the stairs and headed to the king's bedchamber. He was about to knock when the door swung open.

"Numair. What is going on?" King Jonathan the Fourth said, his coal black hair tousled from sleep. Queen Thayet was standing behind him, eyes alert and curious. They were both in rumpled shirts and breeches. Like Numair, they had dressed quickly.

"Something has spooked the animals around here," he said, leading them to the palace stables. _Only Daine can do something like this…_ He left that thought unsaid. There was no indication that Daine had caused these animals distraught… 

"We heard… Sir Myles!" Jonathan greeted the approaching knight and spymaster. "Any word?" 

"Not yet, sire, but George is already working on it." 

The men went to the palace stables while Thayet went to the Riders' stables. Horses of all sorts were whinnying and snorting, trying to kick down stall doors and walls. Black fire - Numair's Gift - intertwined with shocks of white lightning went to several horses, trying to control their tantrum. Sir Myles was using physical force to calm a stallion down, while the king was talking through a speech spell. He came back over to Numair afterwards, his face grave. 

"Alanna says the animals at Pirate's Swoop are scared too, and not just that. George has gotten word that animals all over Tortall are shook," he whispered, trying to calm Numair's piebald gelding.

The black-robe mage shook his head. "Where's Daine, Highness?'

"She's up in the very northwest. She's no where near Tortall, Numair, I assure you."

Numair ran a hand through his wavy mass and sighed, steering the king to a corner so they wouldn't be in the stable hands' ways.

"Jon, only our Wildmage has the power to upset so many animals at once. Not even. If this was her doing - and I think it is - she could be dying from exhaustion," Numair explained, his dark eyes growing darker. 

"Numair, I would tell you exactly where she was if I could. Didn't she tell you where she was going? " Jon leaned against the stable wall, his very blue eyes tired and weary. "Daine is good, but she doesn't have the ability to effect so many animals all at once, does she?" 

The tall mage shook his head.

Jon conjured up a small ball of blue fire between his thumb and index finger. A red haired woman with violet coloured eyes appeared, looking slightly perturbed. "Alanna?" The woman turned and nodded. "See if George can't find Daine. She should be up North, in the Unknown lands." The last part, Jon mumbled it, but the man in front of him heard.

"Unknown lands!?" Numair burst out, his face turning a deep shade of red. "What is she doing up in the Unknown lands?" Several horses reared onto their hind legs. Stefan Groomsman narrowed his eyes at the fuming mage, muttering to himself.

"I don't know, that's what it said on the envelope," Jon replied coldly. "Quiet down or I'll have you locked in your chambers. You're frightening the horses."

Numair bit his tongue and left the stables in a huff. This was _so_ Daine's doing. He wasn't mad at Jon, or anybody for that matter. He was just frustrated. His lover had left less than a week ago after receiving a letter from up north. She said she would be back within the next week… and if she isn't, well, he would just have to go up there and find her. But the Unknown lands? That's just a bit bizarre. That's un-mapped territory… how could Jon have let her go? He scowled, sighed and stared at the night sky. 

"Be safe, my love, wherever you are," Numair whispered.


	3. Decisions

Chapter 3: Decisions

Two weeks later, some very important Tortallans sat in the Royal War Chamber, waiting for the arrival of the king and queen. 

"Sit down, Numair. Pacing in front of the window won't get you any closer to Daine," the Lioness advised gently. Sir Alanna of Pirate's Swoop and Olau sat at the rectangular table, a map spread out in front of her. Sir Raoul of Goldenlake and Malorie's Peak sat across from her, and beside him sat his lover, Buriram Tourakom. Lady Knight Keladry of Mindelan, who was looking thoughtfully at the map, had taken a place beside her idol, the Lioness.

Numair shook his head and continued to pace. Animals had continued to act frantic: horses throwing riders, dogs turning on their masters, birds attacking humans, and so on. And Daine was still missing. He had tried to leave the palace a few times, but each time he tried, the king confined him to his bedroom where he blew up expensive furniture in frustration. 

Finally, King Jon and Queen Thayet walked in, both looking tired. 

"Still trying to control the animals, Your Highnesses?" Raoul asked, a small smile on his face.

Jon nodded, sitting down and pouring himself a cup of cold water. "We're managing. Duke Baird of Queenscove and his son, Nealan, have been tiring themselves out, healing those who have been hurt by our mammalian friends. I might have to enlist the help of some university students. Well, anyway," he sighed, "let the meeting begin. Sit down Numair." 

The mage scowled and shook his head, leaning against the wall beside the window. "I like standing."

Kel hid a smile behind her hand. Numair was acting like a stubborn child. Everybody in the palace knew the king had had to command him to do everything these past two weeks. Eating and sleeping included.

The king pursed his lips and narrowed his eyes, but let it go. "So, Champion, do you have any information at all?"

"Yes, sire. Some villagers near the southern border of the Unknown Lands remember seeing a woman matching Daine's description," Alanna replied, her violet eyes darting over to Numair. "That was nearly three weeks ago, but at least we have a confirmation that Daine was in the Unknown Lands. 

"Well, that's better than nothing," Jon muttered.

"The villagers are superstitious," the Lioness continued, "but they said a curtain of fog dawned on them the next day, and hung there for three days straight. It might be useless information…"

"Our enemy might be a sorcerer, then," Buri concluded, resting her hands under her sharp chin. "Which might be why our Seers haven't been able to see anything."

The king nodded. "That's a possibility." 

There was a long silence as everybody thought about what to do next. 

"Is this affecting Carthak, or Tyra, Your Majesties?' Kel ventured, taking a sip of her tea.

"Carthak, no. Tyra, yes. It could be because the Inland Sea separates the two lands," Thayet answered. Her and Jon's daughter, Kalasin, the Empress of Carthak, had sent a message by magic a week ago. "Tusaine, Galla and Scanra have all been affected, too. The Copper Isles and Yamani Islands haven't, once again, because they aren't part of this land."

Numair, who had been quiet throughout all of this, sighed loudly, his face hard and tired. "So long-range magic doesn't work. Use physical force."

Jon nodded. "That might be our only hope. It would take us awhile. Raoul, can Third Company lend us two squads?" The big knight and long time friend of the king's nodded. "Buri, two Rider groups?" 

"Yes, sire. Ghostwind and Ogre's Bane are fresh to go," the Commander of the Queen's Riders replied. 

"I hope that doesn't damage our chances at winning this war against Scanra, but since Blayce's death, things have been looking up." The king gave an appreciative look Kel's way. The lady knight blushed. "Since we can't go marching through Scanra and other countries to get to the Unknown Lands, we must set sail. It would be faster by ship than on foot." 

The Lioness turned green at the thought of sailing, but nodded in agreement. "I'm in. I'm guessing Numair is too."

"I have the King's Own to look after," Raoul said, his disappointment carrying out through the words. 

Buri, who also looked unhappy, added, "I have to manage the Riders." 

"I'll go," piped Kel, sitting up straighter in her chair. 

The king stood up and smiled. "So be it. You shall set sail for the Unknown Lands tomorrow. Meet at the docks at the break of dawn." 


	4. New Home

Chapter 4: New Home

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A/N: Made longer for the happiness of all my readers. *aha* Anyway, I've changed my mind - Numair and Daine ARE NOT married in my story. They're only lovers. for the time being.

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Veralidaine Sarrasri was motionless on the grimy floor except for her rising and falling chest. Her blue-grey eyes were unfocused and her mouth was slightly opened. She was exhausted.

The shadow that had entered her was gone. She knew that because she didn't have spasms of pain every now and then. It had been gone for a few days now. Or maybe just several hours. She didn't know time anymore. It was just eternal darkness. 

_Numair._

Her mind travelled back to her tall friend and lover, and a fresh tear slid down the side of her face. She missed Numair so much. Did he know she was lost? Or did he and every other friend of hers think she was still visiting somebody? She was stupid to believe that an animal had needed help up here in the Unknown Lands. She, and the rest of the animals who had passed on the message. 

Will Numair ever find her again? She knew she was underground somewhere. She could hear many angry animals above ground. Many had died because of their anger. Whoever was keeping her down here was killing the rebellious animals by the dozen. She had spent the first few days crying. But she was too exhausted now, although her heart hurt with each one of the People's death. 

Her ears picked up on footsteps and her heart quickened. She sat up and slid over to a wall, her knees drawn up. She knew where the door was now, although she still couldn't see it. Somebody was unlocking her door now. The metallic door swung open, creaking on its hinges. 

Daine shielded her eyes from the small amount of light behind the outline of a tall, commanding figure. Whoever it was, was taller than Numair, and a lot leaner. His hair ended just past his shoulders. The man was wearing a shirt with a V collar down to the middle of his stomach, showing a bare chest. The shirt was simple, free of any intricate designs and hung loosely on the man, and the ends were tucked into tight breeches. The dark coloured boots reflected the candle light on the wall outside her cage. Daine shuddered.

"Good evening, little lady," he said, taking a few steps in. His voice was soft and light, very musical to the ears.

Daine didn't say anything but shuffled over to a corner and turned her head so she wasn't looking at him.

"Now, that won't do. Come on now." The man stepped aside so she could see the doorway and held out a callused hand. "There are better rooms than this one." 

Daine looked up into drowning pools of intelligent blue eyes. Hesitantly, she took his hand and stood up, only to topple over into the man's arms. She was really exhausted. 

The man scooped her up and carried her out of her dungeon like she weighed nothing. The corridors they went through were made of expensive dark marble, a little ledge here and there sat flaming torches that lit the way. Her eyes slowly adjusted to the light, so she didn't have to squint anymore.

They soon stopped in front of another metal door, and coldness shot up Daine's body. But the inside of this room was different. It was big and well-lit for one thing. There was a queen-sized bed with silk and satin sheets the colours of blood red and cream white. In one corner was desk made of redwood. In another corner was a bookshelf which held books on animals and their anatomy. There was also a closet with its door slightly ajar showing many gowns of all colours and designs. A smaller room adjoined this one; it was the dressing room. 

"I hope you like it," the man said, laying her on the bed. "Rest, and then you may take a bath later on. I will bring you food shortly." 

Daine watched the man float towards the door, and called out at the last minute: "What's your name, sir?" 

The man turned around, a twinkle in his eyes. "You may call me Conant." He stepped out of the room and left. 

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The aroma of food jolted Daine awake. The man - Conant - had brought over the red velvet chair and was watching her. Her stomach growled. She felt heat rise to her cheeks. A smile appeared on his face and he stood, bringing the chair back to the desk where a tray with food sat waiting for her. 

Daine shuffled off the bed and made her way towards the desk without looking at him. She ate the bowl of cereal, plate of fruit, and piece of toast quietly, but quickly, as Conant went into the dressing room and then came back out to lean against the wall and watched her back. She leaned back when she was done and felt a hand on her shoulder.

"There's a hot bath waiting for you in the dressing room, Lady Daine," he whispered, before exiting the room completely.

She stripped off the tattered remains of her clothes behind the wooden partition and stepped into the steaming, rose-scented water. Sighing, she began to wash the grime off herself, slightly puzzled and overwhelmed. First she was treated like a prisoner, and now she was being treated like a princess. What is going on? 

_Numair._

She rested her head against the edge of the porcelain bathtub and closed her eyes, images of the wavy, black-haired mage going through her mind. 

_Numair. when will you come save me?_

Once the water started cooling off, Daine got out and dried herself on the violet towel on the low stool next to the tub. Underneath the towel was a breast band and a loincloth. Above the hung a soft blue off-the-shoulders gown lined in white with flowing sleeves. She put her new clothes on and looked in the full length mirror in the dressing room. Her blue-grey eyes still looked tired, and the dress hung limply on her body from two weeks of near starvation. She tied her still-wet brown hair with a leather thong and stepped out of the dressing room.

Conant was sitting on the bed, waiting for her. He was in a dark red silk shirt now, with black pants and the same black boots as before. His hair was tied back in a loose ponytail, several locks falling neatly to frame his angular face. Daine could see he had a healthy tan.

He stood up when she appeared and gave an approving nod before offering her his arm. "Lady, let me show you around her new home."

Still dazed and confused, Daine accepted the offer and followed, losing herself in the decorations of Conant's home. 

_Numair._


	5. Snow

**A/N:** Wowee, I'm back! I don't know for how long this time. I missed writing, and thought I'd visit FFN, and I re-read all my fics and loved them so much that I wanted to write again. Unfortunately, I remember nothing of my previous plans for all my unfinished fics, but some new ideas came up! So I'll work from that! I know this chapter's rather short XD, compared to chapter four, but I'm still trying to get back into the groove of things, plus I can't wait to write about Daine next!

Chapter 5: Snow

Alanna of Pirate's Swoop and Olau leaned against the ship's railing and heaved up her meagre breakfast of one piece of buttered toast. The squads from Third Company and the Riders eyed her with pity and gave her sympathy pats when they walked by. The lady knight stayed in that position afterwards, exhausted from throwing up all her meals over the past two weeks and inhaled the fresh cold air around her.

They had entered the cold winters of the North several days ago. The captain had warned them that they wouldn't be able to go up that far because of ice sheets, much to the delight of Alanna, but to the irritation of Numair. So they had arranged to dock on the shores of Northern Scanra, with the help of Numair's Gift to hide them for as long as he can. After all, they were going to enter enemy territory very illegally.

She shifted as somebody covered her with a warm blanket. "Thanks," she muttered.

"You're welcome," Keladry of Mindelan said. She half-carried the Lioness to a nearby bench. "You're getting thin, you know. I'll beat you at swordplay soon," she teased, gently lowering the redhead down.

"I'll die before you beat me, youngling," she muttered. "Are we almost there yet? I'd like to have at least half my strength back before we meet our enemy."

"Actually, I don't kno—"

"We should be there soon," Numair Salmalin interrupted. "I asked the captain several days ago. Also, it's getting colder." The mage was dressed in fine, black woollen robes, and had a fur cloak on. "I suggest you go change, too, before you catch a cold." The last part was meant for Kel, who nodded and took off.

Alanna eyed her friend wearily. "You should control your temper before you scare off all your allies."

Numair raised an eyebrow, a smile tugging at his lips. "This coming from somebody who's famous for her tempers. I don't see anybody abandoning you." He sighed. "I'll apologize to Kel later. I just… it's just…"

The violet eyed knight put an arm around Numair. "It's all right," she whispered, leaning her head on his bony shoulder. "We're all worried about Daine."

Numair stiffened when Alanna said 'Daine' and rested his head on his hands. "It's been five weeks, Alanna," he said quietly. "We don't even know where she is. And we have to look for her, on foot, might I add, because nobody can go near any animals without getting hurt." He paused and stared at the fog in front of them. "I'm really scared."

"I know," she replied shakily before lurching up from the bench and running over to the closest railing.

At the same time, Kel returned in her winter clothing of white and soft greens, a smile on her rosy-cheeked face. "The captain just told me that we're going to land soon, so I've ordered all our squads to armour up and stand ready for further commands," she announced. "And I've come to help Alanna to the cabin so she can change into her winter clothes."

Alanna stumbled towards the stairs leading to the cabin with Kel at her heels. "I'll be okay, you don't have to follow me, you know."

"Just to be safe, I think she should," Numair spoke up, winking at Kel. "You never know, the old woman might need your help."

Alanna's eyes flashed a hard, violent purple colour before she disappeared down the steps. Kel's eyes crinkled with mirth before she, too, disappeared.

Left on the deck alone, Numair wandered over to the starboard side of the ship. Several of the King's Own also watched as they approached land, standing a little ways away from the hot-tempered black mage. They didn't want to be turned into something unnatural – or natural, like that tree at Castle Dunlath.

They could see barely see the snow covered land, and Numair's face scrunched up with worry. Time was ticking away, and snow would only act as a hindrance. It seemed like nature was trying its hardest to keep the soulmates apart.

_I love you, Daine._


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